Apoptotic entities for use in treatment of neurodegenerative and other neurological disorders

Abstract

Treatment and/or prophylaxis, in mammalian patients, of neurodegenerative and other neurological medical disorders is effected by administering to the patient effective amounts of apoptotic bodies and/or apoptotic cells, preferably those derived from the patient's own white blood cells, e.g. by extracorporeal treatment of the patient's blood cells to induce apoptosis and administration of the apoptotic bodies and/or cells so formed to the patient.

1 . The use of apoptotic bodies and/or apoptotic cells in treatment and/or prophylaxis in mammalian patients of neurodegenerative and other neurological medical disorders. 
     
     
         2 . The use of apoptotic bodies and/or apoptotic cells in the preparation of a medicament for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of neurodegenerative and other neurological medical disorders in mammalian patients. 
     
     
         3 . The use of  claim 2  wherein apoptotic bodies and/or apoptotic cells are in a liquid suspension along with viable cells. 
     
     
         4 . The use of  claim 3  wherein the apoptotic bodies and/or apoptotic cells comprise from 10% to 90% of the cellular portion of the suspension. 
     
     
         5 . The use of  claim 4  wherein the apoptotic bodies and/or apoptotic cells comprise from 30% to 70% of the cellular portion of the suspension. 
     
     
         6 . The use of  claim 1  or  2  wherein the apoptotic bodies and/or cells are derived from extracorporeal treatment of blood cells compatible with those of the mammalian patient. 
     
     
         7 . The use of  claim 1  or  2  wherein the apoptotic bodies and/or cells are derived from established cultured cell lines. 
     
     
         8 . The use of  claim 6  wherein the blood cells are white blood cells of blood compatible with that of the mammalian patient. 
     
     
         9 . The use of  claim 8  wherein the blood cells are the patient's own white blood cells. 
     
     
         10 . The use of  claim 9  wherein the blood cells are the patient's own T lymphocytes. 
     
     
         11 . The use of  claim 1  or  2  wherein the disorder is selected from the group consisting of Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia, multiple sclerosis, depression, Down's syndrome, Huntington's disease, peripheral neuropathies, spinal cord diseases, neuropathic joint diseases, chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease (CIPD), neuropathies including mononeuropathy, polyneuropathy, symmetrical distal sensory neuropathy, cystic fibrosis, neuromuscular junction disorders, myasthenias and Parkinson's disease. 
     
     
         12 . The use of  claim 1  or  2  further comprising administering to a human patient a dosage of apoptotic bodies and/or apoptotic cells comprising from 10,000 to 10,000,000 apoptotic bodies and/or apoptotic cells per kilogram body weight of the patient. 
     
     
         13 . The use of  claim 12  wherein the dosage contains from 500,000 to 5,000,000 apoptotic bodies and/or apoptotic cells per kilogram body weight of the patient. 
     
     
         14 . The use of  claim 12  wherein the dosage contains from 1,500,000 to 4,000,000 apoptotic bodies and/or apoptotic cells per kilogram body weight of the patient. 
     
     
         15 . A method for treatment of or prophylaxis against T-cell-mediated and inflammatory disorders in a mammalian patient, which comprises administering to the patient an effective amount of apoptotic bodies and/or apoptotic cells. 
     
     
         16 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient and an effective amount of apoptotic bodies and/or apoptotic cells. 
     
     
         17 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 16  which is suitable for administration to a mammalian patient to treat or to effect prophylaxis against neurodegenerative and other neurological medical disorders. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 16  or  17  comprising a liquid suspension of cellular material, from 10% to 90% of the cellular material being apoptotic bodies and/or apoptotic cells. 
     
     
         19 . A unit dosage composition for administration to a human patient for alleviation or prophylaxis of a neurological or neurodegenerative disorder, comprising a liquid suspension of cellular material including from about 10,000 to 10,000,000 apoptotic cells and/or apoptotic bodies per kilogram of patient body weight.